# Biological systems engineering

Biological systems engineering or biosystems engineering is a broad-based engineering discipline with particular emphasis on non-medical biology. It can be thought of as a subset of the broader notion of biological engineering or bio-technology though not in the respects that pertain to biomedical engineering as biosystems engineering tends to focus less on medical applications than on agriculture, ecosystems, and food science. The discipline focuses broadly on environmentally sound and sustainable engineering solutions to meet societies' ecologically related needs. Biosystems engineering integrates the expertise of fundamental engineering fields with expertise from non-engineering disciplines.

## Background and organization

Many college and university biological engineering departments have a history of being grounded in agricultural engineering and have only in the past two decades or so changed their names to reflect the movement towards more diverse biological based engineering programs. This major is sometimes called agricultural and biological engineering, biological and environmental engineering, etc., in different universities, generally reflecting interests of local employment opportunities.
Since biological engineering covers a wide spectrum, many departments now offer specialization options. Depending on the department and the specialization options offered within each program, curricula may overlap with other related fields. There are a number of different titles for BSE-related departments at various universities. The professional societies commonly associated with many Biological Engineering programs include the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) and the Institute of Biological Engineering (IBE), which generally encompasses BSE. Some program also participate in the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).
A biological systems engineer has a background in what both environmental engineers and biologists do, thus bridging the gap between engineering and the (non-medical) biological sciences – although this is variable across academic institutions. For this reason, biological systems engineers are becoming integral parts of many environmental engineering firms, federal agencies, and biotechnology industries. A biological systems engineer will often address the solution to a problem from the perspective of employing living systems to enact change. For example, biological treatment methodologies can be applied to provide access to clean drinking water or for sequestration of carbon dioxide.

## Specializations

* Land and water resources engineering
* Food engineering and bioprocess engineering
* Machinery systems engineering
* Natural resources and environmental engineering
* Biomedical engineering

## Academic programs in agricultural and biological systems engineering

Below is a listing of known academic programs that offer bachelor's degrees (B.S. or B.S.E.) in what ABET and/or ASABE terms "agricultural engineering", "biological systems engineering", "biological engineering", or similarly named programs. ABET accredits college and university programs in the disciplines of applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology. ASABE defines accredited programs within the scope of Ag/Bio Engineering.

### North America

| Institution | Program | Web site |
| Auburn University | Biosystems Engineering | www.eng.auburn.edu/ |
| CalPoly San Louis Obispo | BioResource and Agricultural Engineering | www.brae.calpoly.edu/ |
| California State University, Bakersfield | BioResource and Agricultural Engineering | |
| Clemson University | Biosystems Engineering | |
| Colorado State University | Chemical and Biological Engineering | |
| Cornell University | Biological Engineering | bee.cornell.edu/ |
| Cornell University | Environmental Engineering | bee.cornell.edu/ |
| Dalhousie University | Engineering | www.dal.ca |
| Florida A&M University | Biological Systems Engineering | |
| Illinois Institute of Technology | Chemical Engineering/Food Process Engineering | |
| Iowa State University | Agricultural Engineering | www.abe.iastate.edu/ |
| Iowa State University | Biological Systems Engineering | www.abe.iastate.edu/ |
| Kansas State University | Biological Systems Engineering | www.bae.ksu.edu/home |
| Laval University | Agri-Environmental Engineering | |
| Laval University | Food Engineering | |
| Louisiana State University | Biological and Agricultural Engineering | www.bae.lsu.edu |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Chemical-Biological Engineering | www.be.mit.edu |
| McGill University | Environmental Engineering | www.mcgill.ca/bioeng/ |
| Mercer University School of Engineering | Bioresource Engineering | |
| Michigan State University | Biosystems Engineering | www.egr.msu.edu/bae/ |
| Mississippi State University | Biological Engineering | www.abe.msstate.edu |
| Mississippi State University | Biomedical Engineering | www.abe.msstate.edu |
| Montana State University | Biological Engineering | |
| Montana State University | Civil Engineering | |
| Montana State University | Environmental Engineering | |
| North Carolina State University | Biological Engineering | www.bae.ncsu.edu/ |
| North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University | Biological Engineering | |
| North Dakota State University | Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering | www.ndsu.edu/aben/ |
| Northern Kentucky University | Biosystems Engineering | |
| Oklahoma State University | Biosystems Engineering | biosystems.okstate.edu |
| Oregon State University | Ecological Engineering | bee.oregonstate.edu/ |
| Oregon State University | Forest Engineering | bee.oregonstate.edu/ |
| Penn State University | Biological Engineering | abe.psu.edu/ |
| Purdue University | Agricultural Engineering | www.purdue.edu/abe |
| Purdue University | Biological Engineering | www.purdue.edu/abe |
| Rutgers University | Bioenvironmental Engineering | |
| State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry | Bioprocess Engineering | |
| State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry | Environmental Resources Engineering | |
| South Dakota School of Mines and Technology | Bioprocess and Biochemical Engineering | |
| South Dakota State University | Chemical and Biological Engineering | www.sdstate.edu/abe/ |
| Texas A&M University | Biological and Agricultural Engineering | baen.tamu.edu/ |
| Ohio State University | Agricultural Engineering | fabe.osu.edu |
| Ohio State University | Food, Biological, and Ecological Engineering | fabe.osu.edu |
| University of Alabama | Biological Engineering | |
| University of Arizona | Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering | cals.arizona.edu/abe |
| University of Arkansas | Biological Engineering | www.baeg.uark.edu/ |
| University of California, Davis | Biological and Agricultural Engineering | bae.engineering.ucdavis.edu/ |
| University of Colorado at Boulder | Chemical and Biological Engineering | |
| University of Florida | Agricultural and Biological Engineering | www.abe.ufl.edu/ |
| University of Guelph | Biological Engineering | |
| University of Guelph | Environmental Engineering | |
| University of Guelph | Water Resources Engineering | |
| University of Georgia | Agricultural Engineering | www.engr.uga.edu |
| University of Georgia | Biological Engineering | www.engr.uga.edu |
| University of Hawaii at Manoa | Biological Engineering | |
| University of Idaho | Biological Engineering | uidaho.edu/ |
| University of Idaho | Environmental Engineering | uidaho.edu/ |
| University of Illinois | Agricultural and Biological Engineering | abe.illinois.edu/ |
| University of Kentucky | Biosystems Engineering | jokko.bae.uky.edu/BAEHome.asp |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln | Agricultural Engineering | bse.unl.edu |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln | Biological Systems Engineering | bse.unl.edu |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln | Environmental Engineering | bse.unl.edu |
| University of Maine | Bioengineering | |
| University of Manitoba | Biosystems Engineering | http://umanitoba.ca/ |
| University of Maryland | Bioengineering | |
| University of Minnesota | Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering | www.bbe.umn.edu/ |
| University of Missouri | Biological Engineering | bioengineering.missouri.edu/ |
| University of Puerto Rico | Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering | |
| University of Saskatchewan | Biological Engineering | |
| University of Saskatchewan | Chemical Engineering | |
| University of Tennessee | Biosystems Engineering | bioengr.ag.utk.edu |
| University of Washington | Bioresource Science & Engineering | |
| University of Wisconsin | Biological Systems Engineering | bse.wisc.edu/ |
| Utah State University | Biological Engineering | be.usu.edu |
| Virginia Polytechnic University | Biological Systems Engineering | www.bse.vt.edu |
| Washington State University | Biological Systems Engineering | bsyse.wsu.edu |

### Central and South America

| Institution | Department | Web site |
| Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral | Food Industry Engineering | |
| Federal Institute of São Paulo (Campus of Avaré), Brazil | Biosystems Engineering | |
| Federal University of Campina Grande, Brazil | Biosystems Engineering | |
| Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey | Food Industry Engineering | |
| National University of Colombia | Agricultural Engineering | |
| Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Mexico | Irrigation Department | portal.chapingo.mx/irrigacion/ |
| Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi | Food Engineering | |
| Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica | Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering | |
| University of Campinas, Brazil | Agricultural Engineering | |
| Universidad de Cartagena | Food Engineering | |
| Universidad de las Américas Puebla | Food Industry Engineering | |
| Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon | Food Industry Engineering | |
| University of São Paulo (Campus of Piracicaba), Brazil | Biosystems Engineering | |
| University of São Paulo (Campus of Pirassununga), Brazil | Biosystems Engineering | |
| São Paulo State University (Campus of Tupã), Brazil | Biosystems Engineering | |

### Europe

| Institution | Department |
| KU Leuven, Belgium | Department of Biosystems |
| University of Liege, Belgium | Biosystem engineering |
| Aarhus University, Denmark | Faculty of Agricultural Sciences |
| Humboldt-Universität Berlin, Germany | Biosystems Engineering |
| Leibniz University Hannover, Germany | Biosystems and Horticultural Engineering, |
| University of Hohenheim, Germany | Agricultural Engineering |
| Technological Institute Of Larissa, Greece | Biosystems Engineering Mechanics, Agricultural, Food Science and Engineering, Biorobotics |
| University College Dublin, Ireland | Biosystems Engineering |
| University of Maribor, Slovenia | Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences |
| Technical University of Madrid, Spain | Agricultural, Food and Biosystems Engineering |
| UPC-BarcelonaTech, Spain | Agri-Food and Biosystems Engineering |
| Wageningen University and Research Centre, The Netherlands | Biosystems Engineering |
| Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, Turkey | Biosystems Engineering |
| Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Turkey | Biosystems Engineering |
| Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University, Turkey | Agricultural Engineering |
| Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University, Turkey | Biosystems Engineering |
| Bingöl University, Turkey | Biosystems Engineering |
| Bursa Uludağ University, Turkey | Biosystems Engineering |
| Düzce University, Turkey | Biosystems Engineering |
| Erciyes University, Turkey | Biosystems Engineering |
| Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, Turkey | Biosystems Engineering |
| Iğdır University, Turkey | Biosystems Engineering |
| Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University, Turkey | Biosystems Engineering |
| Kırşehir Ahi Evran University, Turkey | Biosystems Engineering |
| Necmettin Erbakan University, Turkey | Biosystems Engineering |
| Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University, Turkey | Biosystems Engineering |
| Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University, Turkey | Biosystems Engineering |
| Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University, Turkey | Biosystems Engineering |
| Van Yüzüncü Yıl University, Turkey | Biosystems Engineering |

### Asia

| Institution | Department |
| Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia | Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering |
| China Agricultural University | Agricultural Engineering |
| Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, China | Agricultural Soil and Water Engineering |
| Shanghai Jiatong University, China | Biological Engineering; Food Science and Engineering |
| Xi’an Jiaotong University, China | Energy and Power Engineering |
| Yunnan Agricultural University, China | Agricultural Water-Soil Engineering |
| Zhejiang University, China | Biosystems Engineering and Food Science |
| National Taiwan University | Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering |
| Bogor Agricultural University | Mechanical dan Biosystem Engineering |
| Arak University | Biosystems Engineering |
| Tarbiat Modares University, Islamic Republic of Iran | Biosystems Engineering |
| University of Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran | Mechanical Engineering of Biosystems |
| Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran | Mechanical Engineering of Biosystems |
| University of Tabriz, Islamic Republic of Iran | Biosystems Engineering |
| Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka | Biosystems Technology |
| Gorgan University of agricultural sciences and natural resources, Islamic Republic of Iran | Biosystems Engineering Department |
| Wayamba University of Sri Lanka | Biosystems Engineering Department |
| Institut Teknologi Sumatera, Indonesia | Biosystems Engineering |
| Kyungpook National University (KNU), Korea | Bio-Industrial Machinery Engineering |
| Chungnam National University (CNU), Korea | Biosystems Machinery Engineering |
| Seoul National University (SNU), Korea | Biosystems Engineering |
| Kangwon National University (KNU), Korea | Biosystems Engineering |
| Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University | Agricultural Biosystem and Mechanical Engineering |
| University of Sumatera Utara (USU) | Agriculture and Biosystem Engineering |
| Holy Spirit University of Kaslik | Agricultural Engineering |
| Mapua University | Biological Engineering |
| Mapua Institute of Technology | Biological Engineering |
| Tribhuvan University (TU,IOEPC), Nepal | Agricultural Engineering |
| Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering (BSSE), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), India | Biological Systems Science and Engineering |
| Plaksha University , India | Biological Systems Engineering |

### Africa

| Institution | Department |
| Hawassa University, Ethiopia | Biosystems Engineering |
| Ambo University, Ethiopia | Agricultural and Bioprocess Engineering |
| Haramaya University, Ethiopia | Agricultural Engineering |
| Adama University, Ethiopia | Agricultural Engineering |
| University of Nairobi, Kenya | Environmental and Biosystems Engineering |
| Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya | Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering |
| Gulu University, Uganda | Biosystems Engineering |